To the person who said Mieles are quailty vacuums..................

[danemodsandy]

Chad:

I very much agree with your assertions on salespeople. They should be approached with caution, and their claims taken with a grain - make that a carload - of salt. The problem in the instance I mentioned was that I- the family skeptic with knowledge of both vacuums and retail - was not along on that trip, and by the time I learned of what had happened, it was too late - the deed was done.

I remember whan retail was a profession, and salespeople had to know their product (and competing ones) right down to the ground. Unfortunately, the Harvard MBA model of management so popular with corporations today has seen to it that only burger-school dropouts are hired by most stores and chains (there are a few - pitifully few - exceptions).

The saleswoman who sold that Miele White Star to us was doing exactly the opposite of what you recommend. Instead of being honest and upfront about the probable need for a PN, and factoring it into the total price of the sale, she was opting for sort of a "bait-and-switch" tactic. She swore up and down that the White Star was the greatest invention since the wheel, to close a sale immediately, figuring we'd be back for the add-on sale of the PN later. Major didn't work, because we felt poorly advised in the first place and somewhat scammed in the second.

I can't say that I agree about Miele's pricing here in the States. It is my feeling that pricing is too high for what you get, even though the vacuums are of very high quality for a plastic-bodied vac. None of my comments on this thread should be construed as a negative comment about Miele quality, but at Miele's price point in the U.S., I expect - and I think most consumers expect - a real, honest-to-Pete power nozzle.

 

[sleepdoc]

Andy

That's an interesting question. I have one guess: some difference in the design of the two series results in less airflow in the S4 than the S5 with the same motor. It could be the smaller bag chamber in the S4 - that would be my first guess. The hoses are slightly different, aren't they? You could answer that question by placing a flow meter at different points in the flow on the different machines, namely the canister inlet and the hose inlet; everything distal to that is the same.

 

[andy]

Patrick....

Now that I think of it I'm sure your right; it has to be the larger bag chamber on the S5. The hoses are the same. I remember using an airflow meter at the store to compare the two machines. The S5 with the electric hose would register about the same as an S4, but the S5 with the non electric hose would read greater. The electric hose is slightly less conducive to airflow.

For those who own Miele's with powerbrushes and powerhoses, I've always advocated getting a non-electric hose to use when you are doing heavy attachment cleaning. It's much easier to maneuver and pulls a little more airflow.

 

[sleepdoc]

One more thing

When I said everything distal to the hose is the same, that's assuming all other things being equal. The electric wand may have a smaller diameter than the non-electric. I think you're onto it, though, Andy, as usual.